1. Greek Theater Western Civilization

2. The Greek Theater 5 th Century B. C. Golden Age of Greek Drama Dramatic festivals were popular People witnessed tragic and comic plays

3. Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

4. The Land Greece has thousands of inhabited islands and dramatic mountain ranges Greece has a rich culture and history Democracy was founded in Greece Patriarchal (male dominated) society Philosophy, as a practice, began in Greece (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)

5. The Land Located in Europe in the Aegean Sea

7. The Land

8. Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

9. The Stage

10. Three Main Portions of Greek Theatre: Skene – Portion of stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out) Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience Theatron – Seating for audience

11. The Stage

12. Greek plays were performed during religious ceremonies held in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and revelry (altars generally on stage) Banks would shut down for days, people would travel from all around to see the drama competitions—even prisoners were temporarily released to see the plays Tragedy means “goat song” (relates to Dionysian rituals)

13. The Stage

14. Where and how were the dramas performed? …In an amphitheatre …With a chorus who described most of the action. …With masks …With all the fighting and movement going on off stage. ….With tragedy first, then comedy later.

15. GREEK THEATRE Greek theatres were constructed in hillsides using the natural slope of the hill for seating the audience ORCHESTRA: Large circular area located at the foot of the hill; location from where the chorus would chant their lines Behind the ORCHESTRA was a raised platform where the actors performed a small building called the SKENE was at the back of the platform-it was where the actors would change their masks- the front of the SKENE was used to represent location; modern day word SCENE comes from SKENE

16. GREEK THEATRE Greek theatre used specialty machinery; most noted was the platform on wheels and the DEUS EX MACHINA (literally translated God by Machine)-a device used to lower actors from the top of the SKENE to the stage; used to show the dissention of Gods from the Heavens to earth Greek era considered to be the most important time in theatre history

17. GREEK THEATRE COMEDY: light humorous dramas with a happy ending TRAGEDY: the main character suffers a disastrous end SATYR (satire): made fun of Greek legends All of these play types were written and performed during this time period… although the interpretation of these art forms has evolved they are still the general dramatic forms still written and performed at present

18. Masks of Greek Theater

19. The masks were worn for many reason including: 1. Visibility 2. Acoustic Assistance 3. Few Actors, Many Roles 4. Characterization

20. Some general categories of masks 1. OLD MEN Smooth-Faced, White, Grizzled, Black-Haired, Flaxen and More Flaxen 2. YOUNG MEN Common, Curled, More Curled, Graceful, Horrid, Pale and Less Pale 3. SLAVES Leathern, Peaked-Beard, Flat Nose 4. WOMEN Freed Old Woman, Old Domestic, Middle Aged, Leathern, Pale-Disheveled, Pale Middle Aged, Whorish-Disheveled, Virgin, Girl 5. SPECIALIST MASKS Some made for specific characters, others for: Mourning, Blindness, Deceit, Drunkenness...etc. (The comic masks, those especially of old comedy, were as like as possible to true persons they represented, or made to appear more ridiculous)

22. Masks of Greek Theater

25. Modern-day replicas Hero-King Comedy (Servant or Herald ) Tragedy (Weeping Chorus)

26. Theater at Epidaurus

28. Major Greek Dramatists Aeschylus524 B.C.Seven Against Thebes Sophocles496 B.C.Antigone Oedipus Euripides480 B.C.Medea DramatistBornWrote

29. Sophocles’ Antigone Set in Thebes (a city in ancient Greece) Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta Antigone’s brothers, Eteokles and Polyneces, took opposite sides in a war Eteokles and Polyneces killed each other in battle Antigone’s uncle, Kreon, became king of Thebes

30. Sophocles

32. Greek Comedy and Aristophanes

34. Euripides’ Medea Medea is a princess from Colchis Medea marries Jason, who is in Colchis on a quest for the Golden Fleece Medea betrays her father and murders her brother for her love of Jason Medea has magical powers Jason takes Medea back to his homeland, Corinth, where they have children Jason takes another wife, the king of Corinth’s daughter

35. Jason’s Voyage on the Argo Jason and Medea meet Corinth: Where Jason and Medea settle down

36. Overview of Greek Theatre The land The myths The stage

37. Myths played a key role in Greek drama

38. The Myths – Why they were written 1. Explained the unexplainable 2. Justified religious practices 3. Gave credibility to leaders 4. Gave hope 5. Polytheistic (more than one god) 6. Centered around the twelve Olympians (primary Greek gods)

39. Explained the Unexplainable When Echo tried to get Narcissus to love her, she was denied. Saddened, she shriveled to nothing, her existence melting into a rock. Only her voice remained. Hence, the echo!

40. To justify religious practices Dionysian cults in ancient Greece were founded to worship Dionysus, god of grapes, vegetation, and wine.

41. Roots in Worship of Dionysus God of wine and revelry

42. Theater of Dionysus Dionysia was an annual festival in honor of the god Dionysus Theater of Dionysus was an open-air Theater with room for fifteen thousand spectators

43. Theater of Dionysus carved out of a stone hillside looked like a semicircle with steeply rising tiers of seats

44. Theater of Dionysus

45. At the bottom was the rounded orchestra or performance area where the chorus sang and danced

46. Dionysus Theater in Athens

47. Theater of Dionysus Behind the orchestra was an open, almost bare, stage where actors spoke their lines from behind huge masks

48. Dionysus Theater in Athens

50. Theater of Dionysus Male actors performed all the roles Actors switched masks to play a number of roles – both female and male

51. Dionysus and Satyrs

52. To give credibility to leaders Used myths to create family trees for their leaders, enforcing the made-up idea that the emperors were related to the gods and were, then, demigods.

53. To give hope The ancient citizens of Greece would sacrifice and pray to an ORACLE. An oracle was a priest or priestess who would send a message to the gods from mortals who brought their requests. Where DID hope come from? After unleashing suffering, famine, disease, and many other evils, the last thing Pandora let out was HOPE.

54. Oracle of Delphi

56. Delphi

58. Mount Olympus… …Where the Olympians lived. Who are the Olympians?

59. The Olympians Are the 12 Main Gods

60. The Olympians

61. Zeus King of gods Heaven Storms Thunder lightning

62. Poseidon Zeus’s brother King of the sea Earthquakes Horses

63. Hades Brother to Zeus and Poseidon King of the Underworld (Tartarus) Husband of Persphone

64. Ares God of war

65. Hephaestus God of fire Craftspeople Metalworkers Artisans

66. Apollo God of the sun Music Poetry Fine arts Medicine

67. Hermes Messenger to the gods Trade Commerce Travelers Thieves & scoundrels

68. Dionysus God of Wine Partying (Revelry)

69. Hera Queen of gods Women Marriage Childbirth

70. Demeter Goddess of Harvest Agriculture Fertility Fruitfulness Mom to Persephone

71. Hestia Goddess of Hearth Home Community

72. Athena Goddess of wisdom Practical arts War

73. Aphrodite Goddess of love and beauty

74. Artemis Goddess of hunting and the moon.

75. The Storyline

76. Central Character is of the Elite Class

77. Central Character suffers a Downfall

78. Central Character is Neither Wholly good nor wholly evil

79. Downfall is the result of a Fatal Flaw

80. Misfortunes involve characters who are related or who are friends

81. Tragic actions take place offstage

82. Central Character has a moment of recognition

83. Audience experiences pity and fear

84. Pity and Fear leads to a catharsis

85. The End